Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's secret code names revealed

US President elect Joe Biden’s code name, along with that of incoming Vice-President Kamala Harris, have been confirmed.

Biden defeated incumbent US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) and will take office in January.

As with all presidents, they are given code names which the Secret Service uses.

Barack Obama’s was Renegade while Trump’s was Mogul.

US President-elect Joe Biden speaks while delivering an address to the nation during an election event in Wilmington, Delaware.
US President-elect Joe Biden speaks after winning the election. Source: Getty Images

According to CNN, Biden will keep the same code name he had when he was Vice-President under Obama.

Biden’s code name is Celtic. Harris’s code name is Pioneer.

US President code names over the years

  • Ronald Reagan - Rawhide

  • Richard Nixon - Searchlight

  • John F Kennedy - Lancer

  • Bill Clinton - Eagle

Candidates get to choose theirs from a list produced by The White House Communications Agency.

A US Secret Service agents stands watch as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks during a drive-in campaign rally at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St Paul, Minnesota.
President-elect Joe Biden campaigns last month as a US Secret Service agent watches on. Source: Getty Images

In this case, Biden chose Celtic because he is of Irish descent. Harris chose hers because she’s not only the first female Vice-President but also the first woman of colour in the White House.

While code names these days might seem kind of pointless since anyone with an internet connection can simply Google them, the Secret Service still uses the titles out of tradition and because they are brief and concise.

Senator Kamala Harris departs from the Capitol after the Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump.
Incoming Vice-President Kamala Harris has the code name Pioneer. Source: Getty Images

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